You’ve finally been published and survived the hectic time that is release week. All the blog posts have been written and are up on various sites and you have reviews coming in. You think you have time for a quick break—maybe you do—but do remember that promoting your work on social media never stops.

If you’d like to review what to do Before your release go right ahead, we’ll still be here when you get back.

Today we are going to focus on how to keep your social media stream going and still promote your book after your release.

After the release period is normal to step back from heavy promoting. After all, you book is out the the wild and people are reading it. Right?

Kind of.

Although the Before and During phases of a book release are extremely important, keeping your social media stream active keeps your new book in people’s minds. Your social media stream in the After phase should be dedicated to reminding people of your new book, updates on upcoming works, and telling people where they can see you in person. But you still have to be careful not to turn your social media feeds into a “BUY IT NOW” spamfest.

How Often

There’s a balance you will need to keep when it comes to your social media stream. Only 20% of your posts should be about buying a book. If you are very active on Facebook, Twitter and other social media streams, this will be an easy to do. However, if you are not active, it will be a challenge to stay under that 20%.

Generating content can be simple. Participate in photo challenges. Ask questions of your friends. Post updates on your next book by selecting a snippet. And post updates on everything from guest appearances, reviews and promote yourself. However, do remember to be YOU. And if that means you talk about other things besides writing, go right ahead.

Keep Writing

Even though your book is out, it doesn’t mean you need to stop writing. If readers liked your book, they will be looking for more. That means you’d better be putting words on the page. By having works out regularly you will build an audience of fans quicker than if you take several years between books. (Note this rule doesn’t apply to everyone—I’m sure you can think of a few authors.)

Writing applies to short stories too, not just novels. If the short story bug bites, scratch it. Short story publications can help you gather an audience you might not even know about. Write that story, edit it, and send it out. Announce when and if it gets accepted. Post links to where it can be read or purchased. Be sure to update your bio to reflect your recent publications and be sure to have links to your social media streams.

Conventions and Events

Now that your book is out, be sure to purchase copies for conventions and events. Any events or conventions that you attend, should be publicized on your social media stream. Announce an event as soon as you are accepted (whether it is as a guest, a dealer or just attending) and then remind fans on your newsletter and on your social media stream of where you will be. If you are guest of the event and doing panels, are doing a reading or holding an autograph session, do be sure to post a schedule as soon as you are able.

If you are comfortable with photos being online, allow fans to take a selfie with you or encourage them to take a photo of the new book and tag you in the comments. Try to comment and/or like the photos as soon as possible.

Review Reminders

For some authors this might feel like begging, but many people finish a book and don’t leave a review. It’s okay to post memes about reviews and how they help authors on your pages. It’s also okay to remind your fan group to leave a review if they have volunteered to read and review the book. The more reviews you have on certain sites, the more likely it will be seen by readers who purchase books like your own on the recommended feeds.

Blog and review sites are a different matter. If you haven’t noticed by now, a majority of reviewers are backlogged and can only review a small portion of books that they receive. If you received a book request, sent a book, and haven’t heard back from the reviewer in several months you can query as to the status. However, do be prepared to 1—not hear back from the reviewer and 2—be told that the book did not catch the reviewer’s interest. Remember, not to take it personally. Reviewers can receive hundreds of books a year and there’s just no way they can read them all.

Updates

If you are writing other books, be sure to keep your readers updated on your progress. Regular updates on the next book in the series, short stories, or essays related to your works or interests keeps people interested. It’s an easy way to generate content for your site or for your fan pages.

Updates can include anything from word counts to your excitement over sales numbers. If it has something to do with your book, you should post something about it. And if your book goes on sale, be sure to mention it on as many feeds as possible.

Get Nosey

Watch your own social media feeds for opportunities to participate in guest posts, group discussions and interviews. Although your book is out, it doesn’t mean you have to stop promoting it.

Unlike the Before phase of your book launch, the After phase is more relaxed. You aren’t frantically trying to do as much as possible in a short amount of time. Instead, you can refine your searches more. Narrow down your genre and subgenre and apply yourself to connecting with groups or reviewers many of which can be found on social media streams.

Do contact other reviewers, blog hosts and interviewers that you run across and let them know you have a book out even after the launch. Even if they turn you down, you’ve established contact for next time.

Use Those Reviews

Although it’s good advice to NOT read the reviews, if you do get a good one, do make sure that readers know about it. If it’s on a review site, link it in your newsletter and on your social media feeds.

You can also use reviews and book blurbs in other promotional materials such as ads, praise pages, and more. This is a good way to spread good news on your work.

Promote Yourself

Lastly, don’t be afraid to promote your own work. If a friend asks for a book recommendation, and your book fits the descriptors, mention it. It might seem crass to some, but you are your book’s advocate. No one, not even your publisher, is going to push harder for your work. A book’s success depends on you. And sometimes that means you have to put your work up on a list.

Promoting your own work means that you believe in it. Not only have you invested time in writing, editing and submitting, you are also putting in time to making sure as many people as possible see it and have the opportunity to purchase it if they so choose. And yes, this means you have to take time from working on other things but you are not only establishing the current publication but anything that you publish in the future.

Although quite a few authors think that the majority of the work is finished once the book is launched, that isn’t the case. If you don’t want to fade into the background, keep your social media feed active. Mention your book at least once a week. It keeps you in the spotlight for just a few moments, maybe just long enough for a reader to remember you have a book out.